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    Maelstrom New Horizons


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Development Resources

Pieter Boelen

Pieter Boelen

Navigation Officer
Administrator
Storm Modder
Hearts of Oak Donator
As some of you have already noticed, we have got an internal testversion of new mods known as the Development Resources.
Because these are still in development and contain some fairly bad bugs, along with really cool new features, we have not yet released these to public.

Some of the features included are:
- Several interface modifications, including the updated Shipyard Interfaces (Upgrade Ship and Appearance)
- Different Flags mod, which puts period-correct flags on ships and makes them merchant/navy-dependent
- Save At Sea Mod (FINALLY! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> )
- More weapons from Russian mods, fixed by Bartolomeu o Portugues (possibly for the Period Weapons mod?)
- Isla Muelle Manowar locator file (we need to figure out how to switch between files)
- Possibly some other stuff I forgot

Eventually we'll work on fixing the bugs included and move the stable parts to the official Alpha's,
but fixing is going rather slow and I won't start working on moving the stable parts until I've got plenty of spare time.
That will be in about a month.

In the meantime, those players who really want to try the new features or are willing to help us with testing/fixing/finishing
the Development Resources content, please post here and I will send you a PM telling you where to get this.
Please do not apply unless you don't mind the bugs and make sure you keep a copy of your stable game version too.

Note that the Alpha 9.5 Patch 1 content is not yet included, so it has to be installed on top of Build 14 Alpha 9.5.
I won't do any updating work on the Development Resources for another month, so the Patch 1 content won't be added soon either.
Content from new patches will also not be added for another month, which is another good reason to keep a copy of your Alpha 9.5 Patch 1 installation. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
 
Can't wait for the save at sea mod!!! And just a quick question, is it true you can modify/make your ships better at a shipyard??
 
Yes, it is. There's several upgrades available:
<img src="http://piratesahoy.net/build/images/pirate_kk_preview/Shipyard%20Upgrade%20Ship.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
 
how does the flushdeck ship upgrade get carried out? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> seems a bit odd, considering that firstly, the lugger is flush-decked in the first place, and secondly the model of any ship with a cabin wouldn't be adjusted anyway. for as far as i know.
 
Well, it is just a code adjustment. Would be cool if you could actually change the deck texture to use bronze cannons if you have installed them, or give ships with no or one stay sail, more stay sails.
 
goody. gives me another something to nitpick about during my log. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> speaking of which, no new logbook, probably, since i don't have the space to download the mod exe files. somehow.
 
Get a new computer. Really! You want to try this! *waves hand in mystic fashion*
 
As to getting the flush deck to be more useful.

Is there a way to swap out the ship model permanently similar to the way you can swap out the character model?

If there is, I've got some VERY interesting ideas that I'd like to discuss with some of the other ship modelers and coders.

Basically the idea is this:

You go to the shipyard and update your mast/sail plan - When you leave the shipyard, there is a new model of the ship, with a completely new Mast & sail plan in the harbor.

Same thing when you modify the ship itself such as the hull or the cannons.

If there is the ability to swap models, then I think we could do a whole lot more visibly for upgrades than is currently being done in the game.

Let me know what you guys think!

Cap'n Drow
 
Then you'd need to make a model taking into account each modification AND each combination of modifications.
 
meh, few gigs more or less don't matter, right? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
Aye, it would make the mod/game weightier in terms of overall resources, but this is something that I think would be worth doing if it is possible.

Do you folks agree or disagree with me on that?

Oh, and I'll eventually be poking into the possibility of building an entire island and city from scratch.

These are all projects I've had in the back of my mind for a long time, but just wasn't going to announce a commitment to any of them yet. **grins**

Cap'n Drow
 
An entire island and a city from scratch? Why would you need that, Cap'n_Drow?

I like this, if I could do anything I would say "I am in".

It would foremost be about replacing textures, right? Cannons=deck texture, copper/reinforcement=hull. Or would you go all the way and thicken the hull by adding planks to it? Never done UV-mapping, but should be able to learn. ´Cos this will take manpower, 113 models with each 3-4 variants.
 
Well there would be both, texture and model replacements involved. Models would have to switch out depending on the rig you wanted to use.

If this is something that can be done, I'd say there will be models for at least 3 hulls for each class of ship, then at least 3 different rigs for each hull, with at least 3 different textures for each combination involved.

So figure at least 27 potential variant per ship class.

And remember, that would be working conservatively with only a SINGLE ship per class.

For each ship TYPE in a class, that would be another potential set of 27 variants.

If we wanted to have more modifications available per ship such as cannon changes, shaved decks, etc, it would mean additional model sets for each ship involved. But then I also have some ideas about how to minimize that as well.

And again, this entirely depends on the ability to swap out ship models 'on the fly'.

I'll see about putting together some examples and detailed descriptions of my ideas shortly.

Cap'n Drow
 
Can't help coupling this with the upgrade system of AoP. There must be an easier way to do this, as it will mean including 4x27x27 ships into the modpack?
 
In PotC, the only "ship swapping" that is possible, is giving another ship to the player instead.
This does require a location reload (eg. to map or another shore location).

Just a realism check here: We have, at the moment, 212 ships in the game equalling 226 MB.
With 27 variations per ship type, you'd get 5724 ships equalling 6102 MB (= 6 GB).
Does anyone else think that is a bit... much???? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/piratesing.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock" border="0" alt="piratesing.gif" />
 
It is <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Can't we make the system like in AOP? Then we could use 3 different models with different rigging, and apply the textures to it.
 
Not before we port to AoP/CoAS. That is one of the new features of the updated Storm engine.
 
Well there is an upgrade system in AoP/AoP2, but all it does is swap out the textures.

And the only textures that get swapped out is the hull texture and the sail textures.

I'm wanting to make a higher end customization system that will allow for visible changes to be made to your ship.

I'm pretty sure it should be possible, but practical is another matter.

For all I know, it may be far too much trouble and extra resources.

But when you consider that most new games that come out weigh in at approximately 7 to 12 gigs installed, BEFORE any mod work is done, I'd say my ideas are still have merit to them. But again, this entirely depends on the ability to swap out modified models for the existing model.

It may be that each modified model could be even considered just a separate ship entirely and just make the modified versions purchasable, but I'd really like it to be a modification system whereby you are able to make changes to your existing ship by visiting the shipyard.

Cap'n Drow
 
that doesn't mean that 7 to 12 gigs for a new game is reasonable though. and then there's the download time to consider.
 
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